East, West, Home's best!

The house looks like a tip - it was tidy when we arrived on Saturday (Sarah says we brought Sihle up way too well!!) but as we unpack, all the bits and pieces of a month away start to take over the space.

The text books which I borrowed and which have not yet been returned; the Journals that Jane had us all keeping; the inevitable cables and chargers and cords from all the different bits of technology we took along with us - pete's 2 way radios, the video camera, the data projector, the computers, the cell phones, the Kindle - they all look like black spaghetti spilled over the dining room table.
Then there are the pebbles and shells and sponges we brought home; the wooden fish we stopped outside Port St John's to buy; the baskets; the gifts - a wonderful pottery vase, a shell necklace and a tree book we were given; a cap each for Kev and Sihle and other gifts in brown bags from the Umngazi shop; shoes full of mud and sand; hats and caps; suntan lotion; and all over the bathroom, a month's worth of dirty clothes.

So we have made sure everyone knows we are home. And we are glad to be here, stamping our presence on our space, re-entering the spaces that are precious to us.

Anne is here visiting form Germany, and Nolwazi has been staying with them. Sihle has kept the homefires burning and we have no worries as we return. Lindt jumped, leapt and groveled in delight when she saw us - apparently she didn't bring sticks inside, chew up branches all over the carpet or run off with anyone's shoes while we were away, but she did all three within half an hour of our returning home. Belly came halfway down the stairs to greet me and purred delightedly when I picked her up, but jingle ignored me for a couple of hours - although now he is next to me every minute of the day.

it's time to settle again for a short while, to reclaim our real lives and start to be ourselves for a bit. it won't last long - i am off to kenya on Sunday for a reading to learn workshop and Pete is going to look after Kev while Sarah and Riaan go to italy - but for the moment, we are back.

East, West, Home's best!